Board of Selectmen Meeting February 11, 2019

Board of Selectmen Meeting February 11, 2019

At the January 28, 2019 Board of Selectmen Meeting I asked the Board of Selectmen to provide a written evaluation to the public of the Selectmen’s”Annual Performance Review of the Town Manager.” To date the Board of Selectmen is silent on my request.

On November 14 and November 26, 2018 the Board of Selectmen went into Executive Session to discuss an “Annual Performance Review of the Town Manager”. After two lengthy sessions of Executive Sessions, why has the Board of Selectmen neglected to provide their written evaluation to the public?

The Board of Selectmen has spent many hours developing and discussing a lengthy performance evaluation of the Town Manager under the direction of Deputy First Selectman Chris Kelly. Chris Kelly has distinguished himself in complete transparency in government affairs and appears to have dodged the most important action of his candidacy as Deputy First Selectman and Chairman of the Personnel Sub-Committee by not providing the Town Manager’s Performance Evaluation to the public.

The Board of Selectmen has hired the Town Manager under contract and reviews the Town Manager’s performance on a yearly basis before renewing the contract on behalf the Simsbury residents.

The voting public evaluates the performance of the Board of Selectmen. The performance evaluation of the Town Manager is a critical action of the Board of Selectmen since this is the first year of the transition from an elected First Selectman as CEO to a contracted Town Manager. The Town has a right to know how the Board of Selectman has evaluated the person who is the CEO of the Town of Simsbury. When will the Board of Selectmen provide the Town Manager’s Performance Evaluation to the Town?

I would like to thank Town Manager Maria Capriola for fulfilling my FOI request for all final reimbursements resulting in Jamie Rabbitt’s resignation as Town Planner. It was alleged that Jamie Rabbitt was saying that he received large payments as a result of his resignation. Jamie Rabbitt did not receive a severance package similar to past Administrative Assistant, Tom Cooke. Town Manager Maia Capriola provided Jamie Rabbitt with reimbursements required by law in a professional manner.

After several discussions I had with an employee from Griffin Land and employees of Deepwater Wind, I was told that Deepwater Wind is no longer in the solar business and Northlight Energy purchased their solar business in Simsbury.

Northlight Energy filed a Stormwater permit application with DEEP and has to return to the Siting Council for final approval.

The land transfer from Culbro to Northlight Energy has not been finalized.

The land that is being developed by Northlight Energy has been a tobacco farm for many years.

In 1984 the Town tested many contaminated wells for EDB and Vorlex caused by Culbro, mandating that Culbro provide Town water to the residents with contaminated wells.

All the water in Town comes from Aquifers. The well at St. John’s Place off Route 135 in the North end of town was contaminated and through a lengthy process removed the contamination and this well provides water to Simsbury residents.

The site where the Solar Farm will be developed should be tested for chemicals that were found in the contaminated wells associated with tobacco farming before going forward with approvals.

An agenda item, (e) under Selectmen Action, Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center Operating Agreement Amendment Request, is asking the Board of Selectmen to reduce the fee for Police private duty fees at concerts, reducing the Police revenues by $3,161.60..

The letter to the Board of Selectmen states:”For the first time in 2018 we were unable to confirm a large-scale commercial (non-HSO) concert rental, subsequently resulting in a year-end loss.”

The loss had to do to the fact that large promoters are sucking the wind out of smaller venues with the ability to contract concerts. The SMAPC will continue to lose money with their present model and giving a reduction of Police overtime fees to a private organization will not alleviate the financial impact of outside influences. Is this amendment consistent with the Police Union contract?

The Simsbury Golf Course has lost money year after year with the taxpayers subsidizing the shortfalls. The Simsbury Farms Revenue Fund was put in place to track the expenditures and revenues of the Golf Course.

Other Towns have contracted out their Golf Courses to alleviate the burden of the taxpayers and receive management from a professional management group that has the purchase power that a Town golf course could not provide.

The Town should not be using donations to cover shortfalls in golf expenditures that are unreliable and unsustainable.

It is time that the Town includes an operational study in the budget for a thorough review of the Simsbury Golf Course. The taxpayers do not have unlimited resources to support a failing golf course.